Eventually Reunited
by Synthera
Summary: Sequel to The Pair. Chapter 7 Up!
1. Default Chapter

Story: Reunited 

Rating: R 

Author's Note: Okay, here it is! This is the Sequel to The Pair. Read that one first or I guarantee you will have no clue what is going on. 

A/N 2: Thanks to all of those who stuck by me on the first one. I hope this one is better.   


And on with the show! 

~!~!~! 

The day after the rescue attempt..   


He woke up to a pounding headache. His mouth was dry and tasted like something small and furry had died in there. Ugh, not one of his better moments. He opened his eyes to stare at a plain white ceiling. He looked to his left and saw a blue-gray brick wall lined with tables and medical equipment. Okay, he was in a hospital. 

The doors to his room opened and in walked a woman. In scrubs. She was very pretty with light blonde hair tied back from her face in a ponytail, and light blue eyes. "Not a bad scene to wake up to, or am I still dreaming?" Vin thought to him self. Then she turned around to pick up a tray on one of the tables. 

It quickly became Vin's nightmare. She had a barcode on the back of her neck. He had to squint to read it, his vision was still a bit fuzzy. The last three were 675. The events leading to his "stay" here rushed back. 

"Lexa!" Vin screamed trying to get out of the bed. He was strapped down but he pulled with all his might. The female was looking startled and she dropped the tray she was holding and hurried to his side. She firmly tried to push him down but she was no match for him. 

His right hand came free and he grabbed her throat. "Where the hell is my sister?" He said his voice even more deep than usual. The X5's voice croaked as she tried to speak despite the tight hold on her throat. 

"She's fine." She said. 

"That is not what I asked." Vin said. 

"She's recovering. The stab wound did some damage, they had to operate on her." 

"So you've seen her?" Vin demanded. 

"Yes." 

"She'll live?" 

"Yes, but you won't if you don't calm down. Please, I'll tell you what you want to know." Her eyes darted to the door. "The doctor is going to be here any minute, they will send you to reindoctrination early if you don't cooperate." 

"They can try." Vin growled. 

"They will make you forget her. Do you really want that?" The X5 pleaded. 

This made Vin relax his hold on her and lay back down. He laid his hand on the bed so she could attack a new restraint to it. She had just finished when the doctor came in. 

"Awake I see." The doctor said stating the obvious. He was a tall man who keep himself in good shape. His light brown hair was cut in a crew cut and his mustache was neatly kept. 

Vin just looked at him. 

"You are going to be fine. You will be fit for duty in a little over a week. You suffered some internal injuries." The doctor continued. He gestured to his assistant without looking at her.. "675 will help you get cleaned up and get you some food." Then he turned to her. "Let me know if there are any changes in his condition." Without waiting for a reply he left.   
  


675 threw a disgusted look in his direction as he left. Vin noticed this and asked. "Why do they let you work in here? Why aren't you out training?"   
  


"Because I just went through labor three weeks ago. I am on light duty for three more weeks." She said looking down. 

"Where is your baby?" Vin asked. 

The woman's eyes filled with tears at this question. "They took her away before I could hold her." She cleared her throat and wiped her eyes. "Well, we need to get you cleaned up. But first I need to take your vitals." She went about taking his temperature and his heart rate and Vin did not fight her as he had before. 

Vin felt sorry for her. The woman's child had been taken from her. She didn't act like a typical soldier. She acted like she actually cared. She released him from his bonds and handed him a pair of scrubs and a toothbrush. She pointed in the direction of the bathroom and said "Everything else you need is in there." 

Vin stepped close to her. "Why are they leaving me alone with you? Don't they worry that I might try to escape?" Just as he finished his sentence his knees buckled and he would have fallen if she hadn't caught him. He grinned wryly. "Maybe I'm not such a threat right now huh?" He asked. 

She smiled. "Nope." 

She released him and he made it to the shower on shaky legs. He took a long shower leaning against the wall. The whole time he wished to hear Lexa banging on the door urging him to get out before he took all the hot water. He dressed slowly and came out to see 675 sitting in the chair next to his bed. 

"Feeling better?" she asked. He nodded. "Good." she said. 

She raised a hand to her throat, rubbing the finger marks that were already appearing. "I'm sorry." He said softly. She looked at him in confusion and he gestured to her neck. She simply nodded. 

He laid down on the bed once again and looked at her. "How is Lexa doing?" He asked. He had wanted to know before his shower but felt she needed time to recover from the emotions that had been apparent earlier. 

"She gave us a scare. The knife did some internal damage. It didn't touch the fetus or its sack but the blood she lost made her unstable. Her body tried to abort the baby." Vin's eyes widened in alarm. "She's okay though. They gave her a transfusion and she recovered." 

Vin sighed in relief. "Good. Do you think there is any way I can see her." 

The female became nervous and she began to rise from her chair. "You wont be able to see her until you both go through reindoctrination and start training." She moved to the door. 

"It is almost lights out but are you hungry? I can get you something to eat." She said trying to change the subject. 

Vin's stomach turned at the thought of food. "No, I don't think I could handle it right now." 675 nodded then left. 

Vin laid his head back against his pillow and stared once again at the plain ceiling. He thought about Lexa and what she would be going through. His thoughts then turned to Max. He wondered if she and Alec had got out okay. He closed his eyes and tried to rest. 

~!~!~!~! 

Lexa shifted slightly in her sleep and an expression of pain crossed her face. She shifted again, trying to get comfortable but another sharp pain woke her. She tried to sit up but the pain lanced through her again. 

"Ah," She gasped. 

"You shouldn't move, you will pull your stitches." 675 admonished as she entered. 

Lexa lay back and attempted to catch her breath. Thoughts raced through her mind. The last thing she remembered was Alec's face full of sadness and him kissing her good-bye softly. She put her hand to her side remembering the female's knife plunging in. 

She grabbed 675's hand as she was smoothing the sheets over Lexa's legs. "My baby..Is it okay?" She asked urgently. 

675 smiled patiently. "Yes." 

"And my brother Vin?" 

675's smile dimmed. "He's okay, but his temper may get him in more trouble than he needs right now." 

Lexa sighed deeply. She was very relieved. "That sounds like him. Did Al- 494 and 452 get away?" 

"They did." 675 nodded. "The Captain is very upset." her face was grim. 

As long as Alec and Max had gotten out she felt some relief and hope. Lexa noticed the look on 675's face hadn't changed so she asked "What's wrong?" 

"I-uh, you have to go see the obstetrician tomorrow." She said as she looked away. 

A mixture of dread and anticipation filled Lexa. Sure, it wasn't the way she would have wanted to go to the doctor, but at least she could find out something about her and Alec's baby. 

675 shifted her weight to her right foot. "Is there anything you need?" She asked. 

"Yeah." Lexa cleared her throat. "Could I get some water?" 675 poured her a glass and gave it to her. 

"I have to go check on some other patients. Are you all right here?" 

"Yes. Thank you." She said smiling weakly. As 675 turned to go Lexa called out. "675? I know I am not supposed to ask but how does Vin look? I know you said he's okay but. I guess I am asking if they are going to be sending him to reindoctrination anytime soon." 

"He had some internal injuries but the doctor said he will back to normal by the end of the week or so." She left it unsaid that they would probably be sending him to be tortured beyond imagination soon after. 

Lexa nodded her eyes filling with tears. She knew that until she had the baby she would be as close to okay here. By then she would be fair game also. Lexa lay down and tried to sleep. 

~!~!~!   
Present day....   


"I love you Lexa." Alec whispered softly into the night. He had just lay down himself after a hard day at work. The packages had seemed to triple over night in the warehouse so Normal rode everyone harder than usual. 

Alec had declined Max and Oc's invitation to go to Crash, instead he opted to swing by Logan's and see if there was any new information. As usual, he was disappointed and had head home with the sole intention of getting drunk. He opened the door to the fridge to pull out some Coke to mix with the last bottle of Rum he had. His hand froze when he saw the ultrasound picture he had taped there weeks ago. He closed the door and put the bottle of Rum back in the cupboard. He shook his head with disgust at himself. He was about to drink his problems away when Lexa was still in that hell hole. 

Alec took a quick shower and lay down in bed clad in only in his boxers. He rolled on his side and reached out to where Lexa had slept those too few nights she had spent with him. For a moment the longing became unbearable, and a tear slipped down his cheek to wet his pillow. 

"I love you Lexa." He had whispered as he drew the other pillow into his arms. It smelled faintly of Lexa's shampoo. It comforted him slightly as he drifted off into a restless sleep. 

~!@!@! 

675 came and got her from her cell, and escorted her to the lab where she would be examined. She directed her to get on the table and put on the gown there and left. Lexa stripped and put on the gown and sat on the sterile table. The room was cold and she shivered. She waited for what felt like an eternity. 

She looked around and started to miss 675's company. She wasted the time by trying to think of a name that would fit 675. She hated to think of her as just a number. Lexa had learned in her time out in the world the importance of having a name. 

She had discarded several possibilities when the door opened and the doctor stepped in. She drew in a deep breath trying to calm herself. She didn't want to give the doctor any reason to report her to the Captain. 

He picked her chart up from the table and thumbed through it slowly. "Okay 427. Do you have any allergies that we don't know about?" 

"Not that I know of." 

"Okay, and you have been drinking the shakes and taking the vitamins in your refrigerator?" 

"Unfortunately." 

"Why don't you lay back and we will take a look at you?" 

Lexa laid back and started to relax. She was starting to feel like she was at a normal doctor. 

The doctor moved to her head and started to give her a breast exam. As he probed he asked. "Any tenderness?" 

"Some." 

The doctor nodded. "That's normal." The pressure of his hand changed until he was lightly caressing her. 

This went on and he closed his eyes. 

Lexa turned her head, eyes filling with angry tears. There seemed to be a rape theme in this "new Manticore."   
(What happens next isn't suitable for this site, so you can use your imagination or if you guys want, let me know and I will write up what happens here and put it on my web site. www.angelfire.com/clone/synthera ) 

~!~!~! 

Lexa went back to her cell feeling dirty and used. She bypassed all attempts to talk made by 675. She went directly to the small bathroom at the back of her cell and turned on the shower. She stepped in and turned the water to hot. She scrubbed her body with the small bar of soap, carefully avoiding the stitches in her side. When she was too emotionally weary to stand, she pulled on the maternity scrubs 675 had left on her bedside table and fell into bed. She laid there staring at the door half afraid of who would come in next. 

Later that night 675 came in with her meal and watched as she ate. After she was finished she dutifully drank the "shake" and took her pills, face devoid of all emotion. She crawled back into bed and once again stared at the door. 

A couple of minutes before lights out 675 came in again and handed her another pill. She had a sympathetic look on her face. 

"What's this?" Lexa asked. 

"Something to help you sleep. Don't worry, it won't harm the baby." She replied. 

Lexa took it and laid back down, this time facing the wall. She heard 675 leave as she succumbed to sleep.   
~!~!~!! 

"Wake up!" a rude voice interrupted her dream. Shaking accompanied the rude voice and Lexa opened one bleary eye to see 675 standing above her with a panicked look on her face. 

"Whasswong?" Lexa slurred. 

"They are evacuating the facility. You have to get up." She was pulling Lexa from bed as she said this. She pulled shoes from a closet in the bathroom and put them on the floor by the bed. Lexa changed out of the scrubs and into the gray shirt and camouflage pants that 675 handed to her. Lexa was more alert by this time. 

"Why are we evacuating?" She asked alarmed 

"I don't know" 675 shrugged as she waited for Lexa to put on the boots. "I was just told to make sure you are on the bus in front of building Alpha." 

Lexa finished tying the laces and followed 675. Once they were out of the building, they head towards their designated bus. Lexa looked around for a way to escape. 

"I wouldn't think about it." 675 said, as if she read her mind. "They are going to let the dogs loose soon." Lexa didn't like the sound of that. She resigned herself to getting on the bus. 

As she sat down in a seat near the middle, the guard that followed her back handcuffed her hands to the rail in front of her seat. Great, she thought to herself. She leaned her head against the window and watched the trees give way to a paved road. The sleeping pill 675 had given her started to work it's magic again, now that the adrenaline rush she had been running on ebbed. She closed her eyes and slept. 

~!~!~! 

Vin had been rushed from his room also. He had caught a brief glimpse of Lexa when they loaded him on the bus behind hers. Wanting to call out to her, he looked to either side of him and was reminded of the three guards that hadn't left his side since he was woken. Reluctantly he let them herd him onto the bus and cuff him to the rail. He would bide his time.. 

The rode for hours. When Vin thought he would go crazy from sitting still so long the pulled onto an airstrip where many jets were waiting. They filed off the bus and onto the aircraft where Vin was once again was secured to his seat. 

He had seen a large male carrying Lexa off her bus. It worried him that she didn't seem conscious. He sat back and watched the landscape go by. 

~!~!~!~! 

Lexa woke up in a bed. She looked around in confusion. "How did I get here?" She asked herself aloud. 

"One of the males carried you in. You didn't wake up the rest of the trip." 675 said. She had been sitting in a chair next to Lexa's bed a bit anxious that she hadn't woken up before then. 

"Where are we?" She asked. 

"Our new home." 675 said sarcastically. Her un-soldier-like attitude reminded Lexa of her intention of giving 675 a new name. 

"Why do you seem to be here every time I wake up? Don't you have drills or something? Not that I am complaining." She asked. 

She gave Lexa the same explanation she had Vin. This time the tears in her blue eyes spilled over before she hastily wiped them away. "Sorry, damn hormones. My body hasn't got back to normal yet." She said. 

"It's okay." Lexa said reaching out and touching her arm. "I've been thinking. You need a name."   


675 looked up fearfully. "I can't, I have a designation-" She began. 

"It will be between us." Lexa assured her. 

"Okay." 675 said slowly. 

"Then your name is going to be Paige." She said triumphantly. 

Paige's eyes widened. "The girl in the book I gave you." She said smiling.   
'   
"Yep. It fits you perfectly." The girl had overcome many obstacles to achieve freedom from a duke who had abducted her.. 

"Thank you." Paige said as she handed Lexa her pills and a glass from the ever present fridge. Lexa groaned and took the glass and downed the contents without taking a breath. Paige handed her the glass of water that had become part of the evening ritual. Lexa drank it slowly. 

"I am going to go now. I will bring you chow later on." Paige said. 

"Where are we at?" Lexa asked before she left. 

"Somewhere in the desert." Paige answered. "Arizona I think." 

Lexa leaned back against the bed. "Damn it, after all that work trying to leave here, where do I end up?" Deciding to take a nap before she ate, she laid down.   
~!~!~!   
The sun shone brightly on the young couple as they lay on the grass. The woman laughed at a comment the man had said. She gasped slightly, then smiled and put her hand on her stomach. "She kicked." She explained to the man whose face was concerned. The smile was infectious and he smiled with her. 

Alec laid his hand on her stomach and felt the kick also. "That's my girl. She just wants to come out and play." 

Lexa kissed him and smiled against his lips. "I love you." she told him. 

"And I love you." he replied, his heart swelling with emotion. He never had felt so free.   
He cuddled her against him never wanting to move.   
~!~!~!~! 

BEEP BEEP BEEP SLAM! 

Alec's hand slammed down on his alarm clock turning it off. He opened his eyes and found himself clutching Lexa's pillow against him as it had become his ritual every morning. He sighed in disappointment. 

***To be continued. 

This chapter was originally longer but I couldn't seem to stop. I decided it to split it up so you guys don't fall asleep reading it. Sorry if the first part is kind of boring. I am trying to lay the ground work. Let me know if there is anything you want to see happen. 


	2. Normal Days?

Chapter 2: Normal Day?   


Alec groaned as he heaved himself out of bed. Another day of work was ahead of him. Another day of Max watching him cautiously, Original Cindy trying to talk to him about what he was feeling, and Normal fawning all over him. Just what he wanted. Ever since he had gone back to work Original Cindy and Max had watched his every move, probably afraid he was going to lose it at any minute. 

Alec stripped his clothes and stepped into the warm water, letting it cascade over him and wake him up. As he washed his hair he mentally prepared himself for another day. Just another normal day. 

Yeah right, if only Alec knew... 

~!~!~! 

Lexa woke up as the lights in her cell came on. Another day. Paige came in shortly after bearing a large tray. "How are you feeling this morning?" She asked. 

"Fine. When are they going to let me leave this damn room?" Lexa asked testily. 

"The answer is the same as last time Lexa. After you give birth. They aren't going to take any risks with you. At least they are letting you walk around the compound at night." She said patiently. Lexa was getting more and more frustrated as time went by. She was nearly four months pregnant now and starting to show. 

"Yeah and what is there to see? Dirt!" Lexa said as the threw back the covers and walked to the small table to eat. This cell was larger than her last one. It had a small table and a larger bathroom. 

"Quit complaining and eat. You have to see the doctor this morning." Paige said. 

Lexa paled as she removed the cover on her eggs. Paige noticed and kneeled by her. "I know you don't want to go. But you have to. Don't give them a reason to punish you." She warned. 

Lexa nodded and lifted her fork to her mouth. The eggs were bland but they were better than nothing. She ate quickly and changed into a clean pair of scrubs. Paige picked up her tray and walked to the door. "I'll be back for you in a while." 

Lexa nodded and went to brush her teeth mentally preparing herself for the day. 

~!~!~! 

VIn was doing pushups when 675 came in. He paused halfway up and looked at her. "Breakfast?" He asked. 

She nodded. "Yep." 

He pushed up off the floor dusting his hands off needlessly. The floor in his cell was spotless thanks to whoever cleaned it when he was taken out during the day. They had been taking him to the drilling grounds for the past week. Two guards watched from the edge of the yard with M-16s strapped to their backs while a TAC leader put him through drill after drill. 

Vin studied 675 as she stood waiting for him to finish his breakfast. She seemed keyed up. "What's wrong?" He asked quietly. 

675 looked startled. Vin had hardly said more than two words to her every morning. "Uh- nothing." She replied. 

"Something's wrong, you can't sit still." He insisted. This was true. She was fidgeting with the belt on her pants. 

675 walked closer to him. "I shouldn't be telling you this," She paused then, making a decision continued. "Lexa has to go see the Obstretician today." 

Vin's eyes lit up. "Really?" 

"It's not a good thing." 675 told him her eyes dark. "He, does things. Bad things." 

Vin became angry. "Has he hurt her?" He asked. 

"In a way yes."   
  
"I'll kill him." Vin declared enraged. 

675 watched him warily. "You have to stay calm. They were talking about taking you to psyobs to see if the outside has had any adverse affects on you." She said in a hushed voice. 

Vin looked at her, his eyes stormy. He said not a word. 

"Please. I didn't tell you to upset you. It's just," She hesitated. "I don't want what happened to me to happen to Lexa. She's been so nice to me. She gave me a name." 

Vin was quiet for a moment then asked. "What is it?"   
  
"What's what?" 

"Your new name?" 

Paige smiled "Paige, after a girl in a book." 

Vin considered it. "It suits you." Her smile widened. "Will you help out escape?" He asked quietly. 

The smile left her face and she said. "I don't know. I've been thinking about it." she confessed to him. "When they took my baby, a part of me died inside. I don't want her to go through that." 

Vin watched her face carefully.   
  
  
"Let me think about it some more okay?" She asked. He nodded. She gestured to him tray. "Are you going to eat?" 

He took the toast from the tray and downed the juice in one breath. "Thanks." Paige shook her head. He had left more than half the food on the tray. She picked it up and walked out. She only had thirty minutes before Lexa's appointment. 

~!~!~!~! 

When Paige came into Lexa's cell she discovered the pregnant woman laying on the bed crying. 

"Are you okay? Are you in pain?" Paige asked concerned. 

Lexa had been so upset she hadn't heard her come in. She wiped the tears from her cheeks then faced the other transgenic. 

"I'm okay." 

"No you're not." Paige accused. 

"No I'm not." Lexa confessed. "I just miss Vin and Alec. I was think about what happens when I have the baby." As she told her this, she rubbed the small mound of her stomach. "Do you ever think about your child?" she asked then shook her head. "Sorry, that was insensitive of me." 

Paige's eyes took on a far away look. "I saw my baby once. It was about a week after I had her. I was leaving the mess hall and they were taking her to the infant unit. She was so small. She started crying and the nurse lifted her up to her shoulder to quiet her." Tears rolled down Paige's cheeks. "I wanted to be that nurse so badly. Then I saw her barcode. I will never forget her designation. 2x5-838." 

"2x5?" Lexa asked confused. "I've never heard of a unit like that. 

"Second generation X5. " Paige explained wiping her tears away. Lexa gave her hand a quick squeeze. 

"Don't worry. One day, we are going to get out of here and we will take her with us. All you have to do is start thinking of a name." 

They had talked about escaping a few times but had never made any plans. This dream of finding her child and taking her far away from the hell they were at now was what made up Paige's mind. 

She was going to help them escape, and she was going with them. 

~!~!~! 

Paige and Lexa hurried down the halls, they were running late for Lexa's appointment. Paige led her to a small lab where a nurse took a vial of her blood then they hurried to the small examination room. Lexa sat on the table as Paige left. The doctor came in moments later and Lexa's blood ran cold. 

He directed her to lay back smiling the whole time. He measured her stomach and recorded the figures. He then took the babies heartbeat and Lexa's temperature. He asked her a few questions about her health and well being and Lexa started to relax. 

When she thought the exam was almost over the doctor advanced towards her. He reached his hands out and started to caress her hair. His hand moved to the hem of her scrubs shirt and started to lift. 

Lexa's fear faded and anger came full on. She pushed him away roughly. 

"Now 427, you don't want me to report this to the Captain do you?" The doctor said grinning. Apparently he didn't know who he was talking to. 

"Screw you, you pervert." She said sliding off the table. Gone was the timid woman of the last visit. As Max would say "The bitch is back." 

The doctor tried to take a hold of her arms and she yanked hers in wide outward circles, breaking his grasp. She threw a right hook and connected with his chin. The doctor's hands came up too slow to block the blow. 

Lexa jerked the door open, only to be confronted by two guards at the end of the hall. She struggled to get out of their arms but they held tight. Finally she sighed and gave up going limp. She made them carry her weight back to her cell. 

~!~!~! 

Paige paced back and forth in her barracks. She shared the large room with six other females who had also just given birth and were waiting to return to their unit. She had heard about Lexa's altercation with the doctor and had tried to go and comfort her but had been stopped by a guard at her door. 

She sat on her bunk and tried to think about what she could do. She resigned herself to waiting.   
~!~!~! 

"Sir." A voice came from behind him. Captain Ryke turned to face the X6 who was standing at attention in the middle of his office. 

"What soldier?" He asked irritably. 

"Sir, X5-427 hit Dr. Orion during her exam today Sir." The X6 reported. 

Anger surged through Captain Ryke. He had given her a larger cell, given her leniency and had X5-675 look after her every need and this is how she repaid him. 

"Take her to room 554. Leave her to the tender mercies of Dr. Green." The X6's eyes widened slightly in fear. "Tell him only level on reindoctrination. No permanent damage." 

The X6 saluted and said "Sir, yes sir." and executed a sharp military turn on his heel and left the room. 

~!~!~! 

Lexa was marched forcefully to room 554 by two x6s. SHe had thought about trying to break away but she was no match due to her pregnancy. The strapped her to a chair in the room and she knew what was coming. 

A doctor walked in. He was tall and thin, reminding her of a walking skeleton. "427, I've been told you assaulted a doctor." 

Lexa glared at him. 

"Very well, no talking then." He turned off the lights and turned on a projection machine at the back of the room. The words duty, mission, objective, obedience, and punishment flashed across the lighted screen. This did not bother Lexa, she had seen it before. The doctor left the room. 

He returned a short while later with a small laser and attached it to a metallic arm on the back of the chair. He positioned it so that the red beam lined up with her pupil. He turned it on and Lexa gasped as the pain. 

"You are a failure 427. You think that you could be loved? No one could love you." He told her. "You aren't human." 

"Alec loves me." She said through gritted teeth. 

"Alec? You mean X5-494. He couldn't love you. You got captured twice, putting him in danger. He came to get you and you couldn't even leave. I think you got hurt on purpose, did you want to stay here 427." 

"Hell no." 

"What about your so called brother? He got shot trying to help you escape. He had many internal injuries. It's all your fault 427." 

Tears welled in Lexa's eyes. This went on for hours and as hard as she tried not to believe it, the words slipped past her barrier. 

"You are X5-427, you have no name. You deserve no name. You are a soldier. Nothing more." 

Lexa slipped away into the darkness of her mind. 

~!~!~!   
  
A guard came to Paige's barracks to tell her that she was to go to Lexa's cell and help her get ready for dinner. Paige hurried to the cell almost tripping over her own feet in her haste. It had been almost six hours since this morning's event and her anxiety had doubled with each hour. 

She opened the door to find Lexa huddled in the top corner of her bed against the wall. She was staring blankly at the plain wall. 

"Lexa?" She asked hesitantly. 

"I am X5-427." She replied dully. 

This worried Paige. She pulled on Lexa's arm. "Come on, we have to get you cleaned up." 

Lexa stood under the water motionlessly. Paige had to wash her hair and hand her the towel to dry off with. Lexa went through the motions like an automaton. Paige tried to engage her in conversation several times and was met with little or no answer. 

"I'm getting ready to go see Vin." Paige said trying desperately to get a reaction from her.   
  
"X5-693." Was all she got. 

"He wants to see you." Paige tried again. "He wants us to leave here." 

"That is treason." Lexa pulled on her scrubs. 

"Don't you want your baby to be safe?" Paige said angrily. She was losing her temper. 

"Manticore will train my baby to take care of itself." 

"What about Alec?" 

"X5-494 has already been through training." 

Paige gave up for the time being. Disgusted she helped Lexa into bed. Lexa turned to face the wall again and Paige left. 

~@~!! 

The door to Vin's cell opened and Paige stormed in. "We have to leave soon." 

"We?" 

"I'm going too." She said waving her hand in a dismissive gesture. "They've done something to Lexa. She must have been taken in for reprogramming or something." 

Vin stood. "What?" 

"It's like she isn't there." 

"We have to get her out of here. Why did they do that to her?" 

"She hit the doctor this morning." Paige told him. 

"Okay, so what's the plan?" 

"I-uh don't have one." Paige said embarrassed. She sat down at his small table. 

"Well, we need one." He said. 

"I know." They were quiet for a while. Then Paige got excited. "I know! We go for a walk every evening after I bring you dinner. We can try then. The fence on the North side is only about six feet by the river. We can meet there and go over. Then we go to the nearest city we can." 

"Okay well that has too many holes." Vin said frowning. 

Paige frowned also. "Why?" 

"Well, we don't know how far we are from a city, we will need water and food. Lexa's pregnant so we have to think about her." Then carefully he asked. "What about your baby?" 

Paige nodded slowly. "You're right. Give me some time and I will think of something." She added softly "I want my baby to come too." She looked up at Vin. "Do you think we can do this?" 

Vin nodded confidently. "We've done it twice." Paige nodded slowly. 

"We have to do it soon." She said urgently. Vin agreed. 

"Okay, I am going to go check on Lexa." She said as she left.   
  
~!~!~! 

Paige opened the door slowly, hoping to find Lexa back to herself again. She took one look at the girl on the bed and her hopes were dashed. Lexa was sitting up in the bed reading, only thing was, she wasn't reading the novel that Paige had smuggled in to her. She was reading a field manual. One of the guards must have given it to her. 

"What are you doing?" She asked. 

"Studying. I may not be fit for duty now, but when I am I have a lot of catching up to do." Lexa replied her eyes not leaving the book. 

Paige pried the book from her hands. "We need to talk." 

"About what?" She asked her voice betraying her annoyance. 

Paige sighed. "Nothing." She stood and opened the fridge. Pulling out a shake, she handed it to her and gave her the pills she shook from the bottle. Out of habit she filled a glass with water and prepared to hand it to Lexa. Lexa drank the shake and set the glass on the table and turned away before Paige could hand the glass of water to her. She lay down on the bed with the field manual. Paige sat the glass down and left without a word. 

~!~!~! 

Alec sat down in a chair in what passed for Terminal City's medical center. He sighed heavily as young X6 cleaned the bullet wound in his arm and wrapped it with sterile gauze. 

Who knew that he would end up here today? Dirty, tired with his arm hurting like all hell. Fate was probably laughing at him right now. This morning he woke up in his semi clean apartment missing Lexa and tonight he was in their new "city" that was falling down around their ears. 

What really got him though was that it was Logan, Logan! Who had saved his ass when White's breeding cult psycho hell bitch had the edge on him. That really hurt his ego. Minutes ago he had been standing on the roof with Max, Logan, Joshua and many other freaks like him when they had raised their flag, telling the humans they were here to stay. 

When he had looked over at Max and Logan they were holding hands with these creepy latex gloves on. Logan's face had been shining. Max on the other hand, her face wore a determined look. Alec could see the look of longing in her eyes and he didn't think it had to do with Logan. She had seen him looking her way and told him to take himself to the medical building to get checked out. 

And he had, nodding his head in a salute to their new leader, reminding himself to catch up with her later so they could talk. The X6 finished with his arm, giving him a pat on his good shoulder dismissing him so Alec headed to the main building to find Max. 

When he arrived Max was standing in the middle of the room giving orders to various soldiers. Nomalies and X series alike jumped to obey her commands without a second thought. 

"Hey Mole?" Max called out to the tall lizard looking transhuman. "Could you find a place for these three to sleep?" She gestured to the three humans, Sketchy, Original Cindy, and Logan, who had helped them escape capture earlier that day. Mole nodded. 

"Yeah, I'm sure we can find something." He said giving Logan a distasteful look. He started to lead them away. Logan hung behind. 

"Max, I'll just stay with you until-" He started but Max put a hand up. 

"Logan, go rest. It's been a long day and we still have a lot to do here. Besides, the toxins will start affecting you soon, so you need to rest while you can." She told him and turned to another transgenic who requested her attention. Alec watched this with a mixture of relief and amusement. 

He had been afraid she would give up on Vin. He knew they needed each other. Now getting them back was definitely going to be harder since this mess went down. If they could find them. 

He waited until he, Max and Dix were the only ones left in the building. Max sank down onto a couch sitting against the wall and he made his way to her, flopping down just as gracefully. 

"Hey." He said in greeting. 

"Hey yourself. The arm okay?" She replied smiling weakly. 

"Yep, like you said no big deal."   
  
"Glad you're okay. I don't think I could stand to lose another person in my life." She said whispering the last sentence. 

Alec put his arm around her shoulders giving her a quick hug. Since Vin and Lexa had been taken they had grown closer. "Nope, you're stuck with me." 

She rolled her eyes. They sat in companionable silence then she broke it. "Do you think they are okay?" She asked. 

Alec knew who she meant. "I don't know." He confessed. "Lexa is almost five months pregnant now. If nothing went wrong." He said quietly. Max nodded. 

"We'll find them." She said. 

"We will." 

" I miss him." Max told him. 

"So do I." He hesitated then asked the question that had been on his mind. "What was that with Logan, on the roof?" 

Max looked at him. "I don't know." She said slowly. "I think I got caught up in the moment. Then later, I look at him, and all I can see it him and Asha, that day. I get so mad." She told him. 

Alec sighed in relief. 

"They are going to have to leave soon. It's not good for them to be here." Max said. 

"I'll get someone working on a way out. But Logan can't go home." Alec told her. 

"I know. White." She said. 

"He could go to Logan's." Alec suggested. 

"Yeah." Max said. "We could set him up there, maybe he will have more time to find Vin and Lexa." 

"Let's hope so." Alec agreed. 

"So maybe tomorrow?" Max asked 

"Maybe, or the next day." Alec told her then smiled "In a hurry to get rid of him?" 

Max frowned. "It's not that. It's just, I think better without him here. If things get hairy then I won't have to worry about him not approving of something we do. Whenever I would steal something or use force with someone, I could see it in his eyes. He didn't approve and it made me feel guilty." She told him.   
  
Alec nodded. He had seen it too. Many times. 

He stood. "Mole found me a place a couple of buildings over. There's an apartment down the hall from it that's empty. You are welcome to it." He told her and offered her his hand to help her up. 

She took it and stood. "Thanks but I don't think I'll be able to sleep." 

Alec looked at her, her eyes were drooping and she yawned. "C'mon, you can at least look at it. Maybe you can check on Joshua, he's on the next floor down." She nodded and they started off into the night.   


***   
To Be Continued... 

Okay next chapter: The break out. I am already working on it. See why I split it up. The first chapter was HUGE. Sometimes I just get in the mood to write. 

Let me know what you think! 


	3. Lead Gone Nowhere

Chapter 3: Lead gone no where   
  


Alec woke early that morning still feeling exhausted. If he had thought he slept bad with out Lexa at home, he definitely slept worse here. He yawned and stretched his stiff muscles as he pulled on his clothes. He considered taking a quick shower to wake up, then he remembered the brief, freezing shower that had felt like flowing ice he had taken last night at Joshua's apartment and shook he head. He really needed to see about getting hot water heaters running again. 

He mentally ran through the list of transgenics he knew to be here and finally decided to ask Bolt. The young X7 could use something to keep him out of the trouble he seemed to constantly find. The poor kid could only take Mole yelling at him so much. Alec opened his door and stepped out in the hall. He looked down towards Max's apartment and what he saw made his heart stop. 

She was laying on the floor, half in and half out of her door. She was shaking badly and Alec could see that she was in the throes of a particularly nasty seizure. He rushed to her side and picked her up gently. He put her on the bare mattress in the bedroom and rushed back out into the hall. Going to the last room he knocked sharply. Waiting with impatience, Alec nearly jumped the young woman who answered after a moment. 

"Sari, do you have any tryptophan? Max is having a seizure." He explained quickly. She nodded and returned a moment later pressing a small plastic bag half full into his hand. "Thanks, I'll get you some when I can." He told her. 

"Don't worry about it. We have plenty." Sari yelled after him as he dashed back to Max's apartment. He entered and in his haste, forgot to close the door. He sat down next to Max on the bed and gently lifted her head. 

"Here, Max, you have to take these. I'm sorry I don't have any milk." He told her. Her eyes were clenched shut with pain. She dry swallowed four pills, wincing as they went down. 

Alec laid her back down and she curled into the fetal position. "Vin." Max whispered so low that if Alec's hearing hadn't been what it was he wouldn't have heard it. 

"What about him?" He asked leaning down to her. 

"I want him here." She said as a tear rolled down her face. Alec gave her a hug. "I do too Max, I do too." 

He brushed her hair away from her face and asked "Do you think you will be okay while I find you some milk?" She nodded and he turned to go. 

"Alec?" Max called out. He turned and she said "Thanks." 

"No problem Max. I have to look out for you until Vin gets back." Alec said smiling slightly. Tears flowed down Max's face unchecked as she nodded and closed her eyes. 

Alec went back to Sari's apartment to ask her for milk. She let him in as she went to find a glass in the run down kitchen. Alec watched her walk to the small refrigerator. Her long brown hair swished back and forth in the ponytail pulled high on her head. Alec imagined that Lexa's hair was about that long if she hadn't cut it. Sari's hair was a shade darker though. Her dark eyes contrasted with her pale skin, her smile wide as she handed the glass to Alec. 

A small boy toddled out of one of the bedrooms and held a sticky hand out to Alec. Sari picked him up before he could reach him. "No son, Alec's clean." 

Alec stared at the small boy for a while before Sari snapped him out of his daze, calling his name. 

"Are you okay Alec?" She asked concerned. 

"Yeah, I'm fine." Alec said pasting a smile on his face. "Thanks for the milk." He turned and hurried away. 

~!~!~! 

Max drank the milk slowly, the glass shaking slightly. "I thought Manticore had fixed these damn things." She said bitterly. Alec didn't reply. Max looked up from her glass and saw him staring off into space, an odd expression on his face. 

Alec's mind had returned to his earlier thoughts. Sari's son had sparked a curiosity in him that hadn't occurred before. He wondered what his and Lexa's child would look like. Would he or she have Lexa's beautiful smile? Her chestnut hair? His eyes? Trying as hard as he could, he couldn't imagine what the baby would look like. 

He tried not to let himself think of the fact that there had been problems with the baby like Lexa had said. There had been nothing in the paperwork that Logan had showed him to give any indication that it was something serious. 

"SO are you going to let me in on your thoughts?" Max asked. 

"Not really." Alec told her distracted. 

"Fine. I need to be somewhere anyway." Max told him trying to stand but ended up swaying and landing back on the bed. 

"I don't think you're going anywhere." Alec said sternly. 

"I have to. Logan paged me. That's were I was going before all this happened." She insisted. As if on cue her pager beeped again. She checked it more out of habit than needing to know who it was. 

"That's him again. He's paging emergency. I have to go." Max attempted to stand again and Alec caught her as she swayed. Alec steadied her with an arm around her waist. 

"I'll go with you. There is no way you will make it over the fence and to Joshua's alone. No offense Max but you look like hell." He told her smirking. She rolled her eyes. 

"And you are supposed to look any better?" She asked returning his smirk as she gestured to his wrinkled clothing and torn jacket. 

Alec shook his head. "Shut up." 

~!~!~!!~! 

"Logan?" Max called from the doorway of Josh's house. Alec stood behind her tapping his fingers on the wall. 

"Stop that." She told him. He ceased the tapping and began humming. 

"In here." Logan called from what now was his study. The transgenics entered to find him at his computer typing hastily with a large smile on his face. 

"What's up?" Max asked. Logan looked away from the screen and saw that Alec had accompanied her. 

"Good you're here Alec. I've been calling you." He said, his voice rushed with excitement. 

"Lost the phone in the fight at Jampony." Alec said shrugging. 

"Well, anyway. I have some good news." Logan said. 

"What news?" Max asked. 

"I may have found Vin and Lexa." He told them. Max gasped and Alec leaned towards the computer, an intensity in his eyes. 

"Where?" He asked. 

"I tracked a military convoy through Washington south to a small airport where there were seven large jets waiting." He told them. "I don't know where they went from there but give me time and I will have their location." He finished and turned to give them a triumphant smile. 

His smile was met with looks of disappointment that were barely covered by weak smiles. 

"I know that it is kind of disappointing guys, but at least we found some trace right?" He said trying to cheer them up. 

"Right." Max said lowly. Max turned to leave and Alec followed. "We have some plans to make for a supply run." She told Logan. He nodded. 

"Alec?" He called out as they almost reached the door. The younger man looked back at him. 

"Yeah?" 

Logan reached into a drawer and pulled out an envelope and handed it to him. Alec looked at him a confused expression on his face. "Just something I thought you would like to have back." The older man told him. 

Alec shrugged and put the envelope in his pocket. 

~!~!~ 

Max and Alec made it back to TC with minor troubles. A crowd had gathered outside the fences and were throwing bottles at the walls. Alec had suggested just jumping over but Max had scolded him saying they didn't need to give the humans another reason to be scared. In the end they had trudged through the sewers to a manhole in front of the medical center. 

Alec helped Max out and she stepped away from the hole dusting off her pants. "We really need to find someone to take care of that." She told him. 

"I'll get someone on it in the morning." Alec assured her. He looked at his watch which read three- thirty p.m. They still had a good portion of the afternoon left. 

"How about we go see what's going on down at the headquarters?" He suggested. Max nodded. 

"Good idea." 

As they were walking Max asked "Why don't we go see Sketchy and Original Cindy tonight at Crash? Dix told me that one of the X6's got them out and back to their places okay." 

Alec nodded. "Yeah. Leo. He had a little run in with a few sector cops afterwards. Dix told me this morning before I went to sleep. 

"I thought you went to bed after I did." Max said. 

"I meant to but when I got there I couldn't sleep." He confessed. " I stayed up with Dix for awhile." 

"Yeah, I went to see him before my seizure. You know, I didn't even get to say good-bye to OC." She said. The main hall loomed before them and they walked up the side steps. 

"It was best for them to leave at night. We didn't want to wake you." He said. 

Max shook her head. They walked into the building, down the main hall to room Dix had taken over as his office. The transhuman was bent over his computer typing furiously. 

"Hey Dix, what's up buddy?" Alec asked. 

Dix looked up startled. "Oh, hey I didn't hear you come in." 

"Sorry we scared you." Max told him. "You have anything for us?" 

"Actually I do. Our food supplies are running low as I am sure you have noticed. We need to start bringing in medications, and tryptophan is in high demand." He handed Max a list. "This is a list that Mole and I put together. If we can get all this, we should be okay for a couple of weeks." 

Max looked at the list stunned. It had over three hundred items on it. She looked at Alec. "Well I guess I wasn't lying to Logan about that supply run. Looks like we are going to have to put our Manticore given talents to good use." 

Alec's eyes twinkled with mischief. "Why, is our Max saying that we are going to have to rob from the rich?" He put a hand to his chest in mock surprise. 

"I'm just saying we do what we have to do to survive." She said defensively. Alec raised his hands in defense. 

"I'm not arguin'." Alec told her. He turned to Dix. "Can you get a list of all the able bodied X series together?" 

"Alec, what are you thinking?" Max asked slowly. 

"Just puttin' your idea into action Max. I figure we get enough people together and pull several big jobs in one night." Alec smiled his most charming smile. 

"That wasn't my idea Alec. I was thinking we steal everything on the list that we can ."   
Then a broad smile crossed her face. "THEN we can steal from the rich." 

Max and Alec shared a laugh while Dix shook his head. 

~!~!~!~! 

Vin was changing out of his filthy uniform when Paige came in. They had been doing drills in the field when Vin had been pushed into a large mud trap by another soldier. She stopped at the door embarrassed. "Sorry." She apologized. 

"It's cool." He told her. She turned her back while he changed. 

"How's Lexa?" He asked. Paige hesitated. "Paige? Is she okay?" 

"She's not doing so well." She told him. 

Vin turned around. "What do you mean not doing so well?" He asked. 

Paige looked him in the eyes. "She's reverted back into a soldier. Completely." 

Vin hung his head. "Damn." He looked up at her again. "We need to get her out of here soon. I don't understand how she can be so changed. You said she was only gone for about six hours right?" Paige nodded. "I know she's more stubborn than that." 

Paige shrugged. "I don't know what they did to her." 

"You come up with any better plans to get out of this hell hole?" 

"Maybe, I was thinking about it and really the only time of day we have any kind of freedom is that walk at night. The doctors are insisting she exercise some to keep up her blood flow." 

"But what about me?" Vin asked. 

"I am going to come bring you chow before we go. I am going to put tape on the underside of your tray, use it to hold back the latch on the door. There will be only one guard, unarmed at the end of the hall. Behind him is a door to the outside. If you follow the trail about one hundred feet or so beyond that door to the river we can meet there. There is a large group of boulders where they do the escape and evade maneuvers we'll meet there." 

"And what about your child?" Vin asked. 

Paige hesitated. "She's well guarded but I am not going to leave without her. I was going to have you and Lexa escape then go back for her." 

"Negative. Too risky. Where is she from here?" Vin asked. 

"She's in building Delta. Two east of here. The infant unit is on the farthest side north." Paige told him. 

"Here's what we will do. I will get your daughter and meet you two. Just make sure you have her there." 

"What if she won't come?" Paige asked worried. 

"We'll just have to make her." Vin replied grimly. 

"By force?" 

"If necessary." 

"But the baby.."   


"Will be fine." Vin's tone brooked no argument. 

"Tomorrow Night?" 

Vin grinned wildly. "As good a time as any." 

~~~~~   


Paige hurried to the doctor's office. She was supposed to be helping with sick call. There were rarely any patients due to transgenic's great healing ability but she was still supposed to be there. She looked at the clock as she entered. Five minutes late. Just what she needed. 

She sat at the small desk that was hers for the short time she was to be here and started sorting through the stack of records there. She had been neglecting her work due to their move. Before that she had been told she was to stay with the two soldiers they had recently recaptured. Lexa had been her main priority. She was supposed to report if anything started to go wrong with her. 

Paige shook her head as she looked through the files. Most of them were the mothers that had been in the special division Lexa and Vin had belonged to so long ago. Most of the mothers had had difficult births. Many had not made it or they had been so badly damaged that Manticore had decided they were not to breed again no matter how hurt they were for donors. 

One doctor had misjudged his readings of the DNA analysis and allowed the wrong pair to breed. The child resulting was so malformed that he had only lived a few days.   
Paige frowned then opened the record pertaining to that particular case. She skimmed through the first few pages. It all seemed normal. 

Her frown deepened when she reached the pages dating the mother sixth month. It seemed that one of the doctors had ordered hormone treatments. They were administered in pill form. The mother was also given psychoactive. 

Paige remembered all the times she had made Lexa take the shake and swallow the pills. She had been told that they were for the baby. Now she didn't doubt that. Evidently the doctor had been trying to duplicate what they had done to the X7s, their complacency. The psychoactive drugs they had put in the shake must have been what helped them break Lexa so easily. 

Now Paige knew for sure they had to get Lexa out of here. The stuff she had been taken was what had caused so many deaths. They were trying to perfect their second generation process on her. At that moment she considered herself lucky to only be apart of the regular breeding program. She knew the X5 she had been paired with had escaped from the other facility that had burned down and wondered if she would be able to find them if they made it outside. 

That was a big if.   
~!@~! 

Inside her head Lexa screamed and raged against the walls that had been built against her. When Paige had entered she had found that her replies didn't seem to make it past her mind to her mouth. Slowly, as time went by she began to lose herself. Her thoughts became jumbled and her will weakened. The guard throwing the field manual into her cell had been the last straw. She had picked it up and locked the last part of Lexa that raged away. 

X5-427 lived again. 


	4. Gettin' Out Part One

Chapter 4: Gettin' out Part One 

Paige sat once again at sick call wading through charts and records. Another X5 that had been in the program Lexa had belonged to had just given birth and it had went badly. Paige checked the time on the clock. The hour was almost over. She glanced at the door and saw the doctor was still busy with the male X7 who had his arm broken during hand to hand that afternoon. 

Paige had thought a lot last night when she was supposed to be sleeping. If they took Lexa out tonight and something went wrong she would blame herself. On the other hand if they stayed here eventually something would go wrong. There had been many X5s that gave birth to severely deformed babies due to the hormones that they had been feeding them. 

Her brow furrowed as she tried to understand why they would give them hormones when the mother's body produced them. She glanced into the office to find the doctor's back still to her. Paige grabbed the six records she had been looking at and put them under her desk. 

The doctor soon finished the X5's cast and came out wiping his hands on a small towel. He leaned over the desk to eye the records Paige was now putting into order to return to the record vault. 

"Wasn't there more?" He asked. 

"I returned some earlier today sir." Paige lied. Her breath came faster and her heart pounded painfully. 

The doctor nodded and threw the towel in a bin nearby. "I'm done here." He gathered the records from the desk and left the office.   


Paige's breath slowed and the pain in her chest eased. She lifted her foot off the records underneath the desk and lifted them to her lap. She quickly set the desk to rights and pulled a trash bag from the clean up locker. She put the records in the bag and left the office hoping that anyone who saw her would think she was just taking out the doctor's trash. 

~!~!~ 

Paige stowed the trash bag in her locker and went to get lunch trays for Vin and Lexa. She wrinkled her nose at the beef stew knowing that it probably tasted like chalk. She carried the trays to Lexa's cell first. She put Vin's tray on the table next to the door and went in carrying Lexa's tray. She slid the tray onto the table and went to the bed and shook Lexa awake. Lexa rolled over and blinked slowly and stared at Paige. 

" Time for lunch." Paige said. Lexa just stared back her face devoid of any expression. Paige frowned. 

"You need to eat." She insisted. Again Lexa laid there motionless. Paige's frown turned into a full on scowl when she realized what had happened. Lexa had retreated inside herself. She knew if the doctors found out what had happened they would do something to complicate their escape. 

She pulled Lexa into a sitting position and let go of her to see if she would stay. She felt a small amount of triumph when she did. Paige took a hold of both of Lexa's hands and pulled her upright. Lexa swayed a bit due to her stomach and Paige was forced to steady her. 

She lead Lexa to the chair and sat her down. Paige picked up the spoon from her tray and put it into her hand wrapping her fingers around it. She let go of Lexa's hand and it stayed on the table. Lexa made no motion to eat. 

Paige sighed. "Please eat Lexa. You are going to need your strength for both you and your child."  
  
  
Lexa just stared into space. 

Paige smoothed the hair back from Lexa's face and told her "I am going to take Vin his lunch then I will be back and help you okay?" Lexa blinked. Paige watched her face anxiously for any sign of her friend but all she saw was her friend's empty shell. Disappointed, she stood and left the room to take Vin's meal to him quickly. 

~!~!~! 

When she entered Vin was doing sit-ups. Paige bit her lip as she put his tray down. 

"What's wrong?" Vin asked. 

"She's worse." 

"How worse?" She could hear how upset he was. 

"She's gone inside herself. Completely. She won't even feed herself. I have to go help her eat when I leave here. We don't want anyone to notice she's not eating and take her to the Med ward." 

"Damn." Vin sweared. 

"Yeah." 

"Okay, so should we go over the plan?" 

"Well, here's what I've come up with. We stick with the tape thing. After I leave wait about an hour until you leave here. With Lexa being how she is it's going to take me a while to get her down to the river. You go get my daughter and we will be waiting at the boulders for you." 

"What's her designation? Your daughters?" Vin asked. 

"2x5-838." She told him. Vin nodded. 

"All right. See you tonight." He told her.   
  
Paige hurried back to her charge.   
~!~!~ 

Paige looked down at her gray T-shirt in disgust. She had attempted to feed Lexa her stew but ended up getting most of it all over herself. She entered her barracks and pulled the offending shirt over her head and tossed it into the large laundry bin at the front of the hall. It would be gathered and washed but hopefully it's owner would not be there to receive it two days from now. 

She opened her locker and pulled a fresh shirt down from the neat stack at the top and yanked it over her head in an irritated motion. She supposed she should have stayed in the other shirt until she made sure Lexa was cleaned up but she couldn't stand the smell. 

She rushed back to Lexa and began to clean her up. She had to settle for running a wet washcloth over the other woman's face and hands. Then she brushed the long brown hair that now fell to her waist. She braided it tightly and secured it with a band at the bottom. 

Paige eased Lexa back onto the bed again and pulled the cover over her. She sighed and left. 

~!~!~!! 

Vin paced in his cell. Ten steps one way, ten steps back. All day long he had tried to prepare himself for the event that was about to come. His heart raced as he realized that it was about the time for Paige to bring his dinner and the adventure would begin. 

The door clicked open and revealed Paige there with his tray. He could see the telltale pieces of tape stuck to the bottom. She smiled nervously. 

"You ready?" She asked.   
  
"As ready as I will ever be. You?" 

"Yeah, I think so. I just hope everything goes smoothly." She said. 

"Me too." 

"Vin?" Paige asked hesitantly. "What's it like on the outside?" 

"It's different." He answered slowly. "It's dirty, people are starving, work is scarce as is money." He could see her face fall. "But you know what? There are good things. You can sleep in late. You can choose what you eat anything you want for dinner. There is music, friends, kids play and don't do drills. You child can grow up and wear colors, not camouflage. She can play games and sing. It will be great." He reassured her. 

She smiled. "Okay. I should go. See you at the boulders." 

"Count on it." 

~!~!~! 

As Paige left Vin could feel the muscles in his neck and shoulders tense and his biceps flexed as she closed the door gently so that Vin could catch it and wrap the tape around it which he did. 

He taped the latch and let it fall closed knowing that it would open when it is time. Then he set about making himself ready for the events to come. He changed into a brown camouflage uniform with jacket knowing that it gets cold in the desert at night. 

He sat on his bunk and tied his boots on. He rolled his head in a circle trying to relax as he counted down his remaining time. When he estimated about half an hour left he at a bit of food from his tray but he didn't have an appetite. At two minutes till he took a deep breath and eased the door open carefully. He saw the guard at the end of the hall as Paige had told him. He saw no one in the other direction. 

Vin stepped out into the hall when the guard was looking to his left and let the door close soundlessly. He blurred to the guard and kicked him in the stomach with all the pent up anxiety and anger he had felt those months being held prisoner in that place of nightmares. 

The breath left the guard with an audible whoosh leaving him bent double and open for Vin's uppercut that followed. In the few seconds it had taken Vin to leave his cell, the guard landed flat on his back unconscious with blood gushing from his nose. Vin dragged him to the gear locker at the end of the hall and locked him in hoping it would take the man hours to recover. 

Vin hurried to the outside door and found the path Paige had told him about and followed it quickly. Her directions were surprisingly accurate and in no time he found himself standing outside the infants ward. There were few people in this building and Vin almost laughed at the ease he had getting in. 

~@!~!@  
  
  
After Paige left Vin she hurried to her barracks. She grabbed the bag containing the records out of her locker and avoided the stares of many soldiers. 

"Clean uniforms for X5-427. I was in too much of a hurry earlier today." She muttered hoping the excuse would hold. 

She left the barracks and hurried to the building that housed Lexa's cell. As she walked in the darkness she realized how cold it got a night and mentally reminded herself to make sure she brought a jacket for Lexa. 

She made it to Lexa's cell without seeing anyone else. She assumed it was because it was so close to lights out. Everyone must be getting ready to bunk down. She opened the door to the cell hoping to find Lexa a little more aware than she had left her. She was laying on the bed with her eyes closed, though from her breathing Paige could tell she wasn't asleep. 

Without speaking, Paige walked to the locker holding all of Lexa's possessions. She grabbed two jackets and her boots from the bottom of the locker. She then pulled Lexa up and put the boots on her feet. She pulled on a jacket and rolled up the sleeves that were too big for her as was the rest of the coat. It was part of the pregnancy uniform but would due fine for Paige until she could find something else. 

She struggled with Lexa to put on her coat and finally got it on. Then she pulled her to her feet and found that she didn't have to steady the girl this time. Paige tugged on her hands and Lexa trudged along eyes unseeing. 

Quickly realizing that anyone who saw them like this would realize something was wrong Paige frowned. Improvising she looped her arm around one of Lexa's and it looked like she was just helping another soldier along. 

They made slow progress out of the building and Paige worried that they may not get to the boulders in time.   
  
~!~!~! 

Inside the ward there was only two nurses attending what Vin estimated to be thirty infants give or take. He didn't want to hurt either nurse in case one of the babies would need them, but he didn't think that he could just go in and waltz out with the little girl and get away with it easily. 

When he saw that the nurses weren't going to be leaving the room any time soon another joined them. Vin groaned as the women chatted cheerfully. The third nurse and Vin sighed in relief. Now or never, he figured. 

Vin eased the door open and slipped inside sticking to the wall trying to integrate himself with the shadows. One of the nurses looked up at the door as it closed. Her head turned left and right, her eyes skimming over his dark form in the shadows. 

"Who's there?" She called out. Her voice was raspy like she had a cold. 

Vin groaned inwardly but stood still. "I know you're there." She called out. 

Vin stepped forward out of the shadows. "I am just here for a child." He said. 

The nurse moved forward to stand between him and the children. "I don't think so." She said. 

"Peggy, get out of his way. He's an X5, the one they caught." The other nurse said warily. Vin vaguely recognized her from his days in the recovery unit. 

"Look I just want 2X5-838." Vin said slowly. He inched forward towards the women trying not to frighten them. 

"Why?" Peggy asked. 

"My sister and I are leaving and we are taking her mother with us. 675." Vin explained. 

"Peggy." The other woman hissed. 

"Shh. DO you really think you can get out of here?" Peggy asked. 

"Yes." 

Peggy considered it a moment. "I don't think it's right what they do to these children. You promise she will have a normal life? No number? A real name?" 

"I promise." He said solemnly. 

Peggy turned and went through the rows and picked up a child wrapped in a white blanket and handed it to Vin. 

"Here." She caressed the child's cheek softly. "Hold on." She turned and gathered a small bag and dumped out what was obviously her belongings. A cheap romance novel, a brush, pens. She quickly filled it with diapers baby clothes and what formula she could. 

"Take this. And you take care of her." The whole time the other nurse had been sputtering and protesting and Vin looked at her. 

"You are going to get into trouble." He said. 

"Probably." The nurse replied smiling sadly. "But it will be worth it. I will tell them you forced us." 

"I won't let you do this! I am going to turn on the alarm!" The other nurse screeched. 

Vin shifted the baby to one arm and blurred towards the other nurse who's hand was lifting towards a button on the wall. He hit her sharply on the back of the head and caught her as she fell to the ground. He laid her down lightly. 

He turned back to Peggy. "Thank you." He told her. 

"Thank you. You are doing something I wish I could do for all of them." She replied. "Now go. Hurry." 

Vin leaned forward and kissed her softly on the cheek. Then he turned and hurried outside. Once the cool air hit the baby's cheek she yawned and opened her eyes. The bright blue eyes bored into his dark ones as if sizing him up. Then, as if satisfied, she yawned once more and closed her eyes snuggling into his arms. 

Vin quickly made his way to the boulders easily and found that Lexa and Paige had not yet arrived. He waited with impatience as the time went by and they did not show.   


****To Be Continued..... 

Aren't I evil? HeHe. I am going to post the next part soon. Three day weekend for me (yay!) Who knows? If I get tons of reviews maybe I will post two or three chapters this weekend. Thats a hint people! Click Click! Thank you! 


	5. Outrun

Chapter 5: Outrun 

Authors Note: I am so so sorry that this took so long. Things haven't been going so well for me and I couldn't seem to find the time to write. I hope this long chapter makes up for it. 

~!~!~! 

Vin paced restlessly back and forth. Where could they be? A flashlight and the fall of footsteps came into range and Vin ducked behind the boulders the best he could. A guard came into range a moment later. He stood at the river and pulled a cigarette from his uniform jacket. 

Lighting the cigarette the soldier turned to face the woods he had come from and stared as if contemplating life's mysteries. Vin's impatience turned to frustration as the guard remained. After what seemed like an eternity the guard strolled away casually, tossing his half smoked cigarette into the river. 

Vin sighed a breath of relief. The guard had left in the direction away from where Lexa and Paige were supposed to come from. At least that was on less worry for him, now if only his sister would appear. 

~!~! 

Paige's eyes filled with frustration. Lexa had stumbled once again and gone to her knees. They were taking too long. She could already tell that it was past time from them to meet Vin. She tugged Lexa to her feet taking most of the woman's weight on her arms. Stepping beside her she wrapped her arm around her companion's waist and started the slow trudge once again. 

Lexa tripped again and Paige bit back a cry of anger. The thought to leave her there flew through her mind but was quickly brushed away by her conscience. 

Suddenly the boulders and stream were and sight and her heart leapt with relief. Vin walked towards them quickly and she could see him carrying a small bundle. The bundle moved and a small hand broke free of the blanket confirming her hope that it was a child. 

She steadied Lexa and Vin handed her the baby with a smile. One look at her face told Paige that this was indeed her child. She had her father's bright blue eyes. 

Vin hugged Lexa quickly and kissed the top of her head. "It's okay little sister, we are going to get you out of here and make sure you get better. Just hang in there okay?" 

His eyes filled with tears when Lexa made no response. They moved quickly to the boulders and climbed onto them Their height made the jump small by four feet. Vin was grateful for that since it looked like he was going to have to carry Lexa. He lifted her into his arms and took a deep breath. Then, trusting his transgenic instincts and gifts he flung them into the dark void over the fence. He landed on the other side in the sand, knees bent to absorb the shock. He turned to watch Paige complete the same move gracefully. 

The started to move quickly knowing it would only be a matter of time before they were discovered. 

~!~! 

Alarms shrilled through the air and searchlights were turned on five minutes after they had escaped. The escapees struggled to put distance between them and their would be captors. Sand flew into their faces from their feet moving so fast through the dunes. 

Suddenly Paige grabbed Vin's arm and stilled his movements. "Do you hear that?" She asked her blue eyes wide with barely concealed panic. 

Vin concentrated a moment and nodded curtly. "Helos." He said confirming her fear. He looked around trying to find a place to hide. He spotted a thick bush in the ravine ahead and pointed. She followed him to it as he lead Lexa. Vin lifted the bottom branches and told her to slide under and protect the baby's face. Paige secured the blanket around the baby then lay down snuggling the child to her. 

Vin carefully let down the branches and said "Let's see if these uniforms work huh?" He arrange Lexa on her side and carefully covered her. He knew he wouldn't fit underneath the branches with them so he scanned up the ravine and sighed in relief when he spotted a small ledge that he would fit under. 

In Vin's mind eons passed as they waited for the helos to fly overhead. The sand cooled his overheated body. The aircraft flew in circles then gave up after an hour. When he felt it was finally safe, Vin retrieved Lexa and helped Paige get up. 

They continued to walk. 

~ ~ ~ 

When Paige had about given up hope they came upon a small diner called "The Roadkill Cafe". 

"So what now?" She asked Vin. 

"You guys stay here and I will get us a ride. We need to get as far from here as we can." He replied as he took off his jacket and ripped the sleeves from his T-shirt. 

"What are you doing?" 

"I need to blend in if someone sees me. This way I look a little less military." 

"Uh-huh. And you haircut and shined boots scream preppy." Vin raised his eyebrows at this phrase. 

"What? I took Common Verbal Usage too you know." Paige said indignately. 

Vin shook his head and started across the small road towards the cafe. Paige pulled Lexa back a ways and tried to calm her now awake and screaming child.   


~!~!~ 

Vin crouched behind a truck that looked like it was held together by rust and green paint. He heard the door to the cafe open and a man shout "See ya tomorrow Russ!". The door closed with a bang. 

The man came into view and Vin quietly assessed his prey. From the top of his straw hat to the tips of his boots he was a cowboy and from the look of the way he was stumbling to and fro, he was a drunk cowboy. 

The drunken man stumbled past the truck Vin was hiding behind, not noticing the hidden transgenic. Vin crept behind him as he passed another car and stopped at an orange truck that like the cowboy had seen better days. His prey had just inserted the key into the door's lock after many tries when Vin hit him sharply at the base of his neck. 

The man went down at his feet and the transgenic looked at the pathetic man. After a moments thought he tossed the man into the bed of the truck and hoped that no one would see him. 

!@!@! 

Paige's breath caught as she heard a truck rumble nearer and stop. Until she heard the voice. 

"Going my way?" Came Vin's sarcastic drawl. 

Paige hurriedly help Lexa to the truck and Vin place her lovingly inside. Paige got in next to her cradling her child and closed the door. Vin took of in a hurry. 

As he drove Vin watched Paige lean down and pick up a bottle for the child. It amazed him how naturally it seemed to come to her. Lexa's head drooped and Vin reached up to place it against his shoulder. The tension in Lexa's body relaxed fractionally. 

"That's the most relaxed I have seen her in two days." Paige remarked. "It's as if she recognizes you." 

"We have lived together for nearly seven years." He told her. 

Paige's brow furrowed. "But I thought she and 494." 

"They are together." He said easily. "You know we escaped we stayed together." 

"Oh." 

"Anyway we need to stop at the next town and call them. We are going to need help if we are to get out of here. Sector passes aren't easy to come by." He told her. 

"Sector passes?" Confusion was written on her face. 

"When the pulse happened all major cities almost shut down. There were riots and fires. Small towns were crowded with people looking to get away. The President instituted a new police force called sector police. They control how many people get in and out of the city each day. You have to have certain passes to get some parts of the city." He explained. 

"Why haven't we needed them yet?" She asked. 

"Because Arizona, which is where we are, doesn't have many people. When the pulse hit and the water plants shut down most of the people left. There is hardly any water here that is accessible unlike other places. No one wanted to stay. It took six years for the water plants to get repaired and up and running." 

He turned off at an exit. He spotted a pay phone at the rest area and parked. "I am going to make a call. Stay in the car." 

He got out and went to the phone. He pushed zero and place a collect call to Alec's phone. He tapped his hand impatiently as the voice mail came on. The operator came back on and asked if he would like to make another call. Vin thought for a moment and gave her Logan's phone number. 

The older man picked up and the operator asked if he would accept the collect call. Logan told her he would and they waited for her to get off the line. 

"Hello?" Logan said. 

"Logan, It's Vin." 

A shocked sound was issued from Logan's throat. "Vin- I-uh, you guys escaped?" 

"Yeah. We are somewhere in Arizona. Near Buckeye, I think. Listen we need some help getting back and I can't get a hold of Alec." 

"His phone was lost in the fight at Jampony." 

"What fight?" Vin asked alarmed. 

"There is time for that later. Both Max and Alec are okay. I'm staying at Joshua's due to the fact White trashed my place. I have all my lines re-routed here. Are you guys okay?" 

"I'm fine but Lexa isn't doing so well. There are a few problems. Another X5 and her child escaped with us so we will need papers for her as well." Vin said turning to look at the truck. 

"You guys are coming here right?" Logan asked. 

"We are hoping to." 

"Okay, I'll get ahold of Max and Alec and start on a plan to get you guys home. Be careful. Call in the morning okay?" Logan said. 

"Okay." Vin hung up feeling better than he had moments ago. He hated asking Logan for help but it was better than nothing. He checked the wallet he had lifted from the man in the bed of the truck and was relieved to find that there was more than enough money for a hotel room. 

"VIN!!!" Paige's scream floated to him. He blurred to the truck to see the man rising from the bed. Vin hit him sharply, rendering him unconscious once again. 

"You brought him with us?" Paige demanded angrily. 

"It was the only choice!" He replied hotly. 

"How do you figure."   


"Well, if I had left him there someone would see him and report it. If they report it, they know what kind of vehicle we're in and you know that they" He jerked his thumb behind him." Would have a good idea what direction we went in." 

"Do you have a plan for him?" 

"Yeah, when we get a room, I drive him away from it and put him in the seat, he'll think he had too much to drink and drove there." Vin said indignately. 

Paige sank back against her seat and attempted to soothe the squalling infant in her arms. Vin settled back behind the wheel and began to drive once more. 

~!~!~ 

Thirty minutes later Vin pulled into a motel parking lot. Paige had fallen asleep against the door, her daughter cuddled against her, a small hand fisted in her hair. Lexa was sitting upright, eyes unseeing. 

Vin shook Paige awake and motioned that he was going to try and get them a room. He walked into the office and rang the bell. His keen ears could hear moans coming from the closed door behind the counter and had to smile. A moment later amid stumbling and curses the door opened to reveal a young man not too much younger than Vin himself. 

"Wh-what can I do for ya?" The boy stammered. The upside down name tag read Elden. 

"I need a room with two beds." Vin told him. 

Elden's shaking hands pushed a form and pen across the counter. "Eighty dollars. Room 14." A key followed the forms and Vin put it in his pocket. Quickly he filled the forms out with a fake name. 

He handed the forms back. "Around the back sir." Elden told him. 

"Thanks."   
  
~!~!~!   
  
Vin drove them around and parked in front of the door to their room. He carried Lexa into the room and gently laid her on the bed. Paige walked in and sighed. 

"A bath. A long bath. I haven't had a bath in two years, since one of my away missions." A smile crossed her face. " I think this little girl could use one too." 

Vin looked at Lexa whose face was dirty and her hair tangled. His sigh was not one full of pleasure. 

"I have to go and drop the truck off. I will be back in an hour hopefully." 

He left into the cold again. 

~!@~! 

An hour and a half later he walked in and closed the door. Paige stood drying her hair. The baby dozed quietly on the bed surrounded by pillows. 

"What happened?" She asked. 

"I had to wait for a cop to leave the lot. I didn't want to risk it." He answered. "I'm gonna take a shower." 

He went into the bathroom and closed the door. After a brief shower he pulled on his boxers and pants. He wet a washcloth and carried it into the bedroom. Lexa lay quietly on the bed a tangle of hair falling across her face. He gently pushed it back to join the rest of her hair on the pillow. He cleaned the smudges from her cheeks and forehead watching her face for any sign of life.   
'   
None came. 

He stroked her hair back and kissed her cheek. "Sleep sis. I called Logan and he is going to get Alec and Max to help us get home." Her cheek twitched at Alec's name. He took heart from this and lay down next to her, closing his eyes hoping for sleep. 

~!~!~ 

To Be Continued.   


I know there wasn't much action in this chapter but I will have the next one up soon. Let me know what you think. 

  
  
  



	6. Shakes and Shivers

Chapter 6: Shakes and shivers 

Author's Note: I just want to say thanks to all of you who reviewed. I was pretty sure that everyone would forget this story. My muse is kicking me into gear lately so here we go... 

!@!@ 

Vin awoke with a start sitting upright. The sleep cleared from his mind as he tried to figure what is was that had woke him. His eyes searched the darkness that enveloped the room, his eyes adjusting to the darkness as if it was full light due to his feline DNA. 

Nothing looked out of order. Then, the small sound came again. A moan of pain coming from the bed next to him. This time Paige sat up also. 

"What's going on?" She asked. She leaned over and turned on the bedside lamp. 

"I don't-" His sentence broke off as he saw Lexa curled tightly into a ball on her side away from him. She was shivering and a cold sweat had broke out on her forehead. 

"A seizure?" Paige asked. 

"Don't think so." Vin said shaking his head. 

Another moan came from her and Vin's stomach twisted. 

"This isn't good. She doesn't speak for weeks, doesn't even move on her own and this is the first thing she does?" Vin said worriedly. 

Paige slipped from her bed . She walked to their pile of stuff and pulled out the black trash bag that had miraculously survived the night. 

She pulled the records out and spread them on the bed. 

"Are those what I think they are?" Vin asked. 

"If you think they are records from other X5s from Manticore that were in your program than you would be right." She said and sat down opening a record. 

She turned to the section reserved for second trimester and began to read. 

~ !~!~ 

Sixty five miles away from the bar Russ Calloway walked out of, the man woke rubbing his eyes. He took a look around and became scared not knowing how he got there. He started the engine and swore he would never drink again. 

!@~!~ 

An hour later Paige had made her way through four records and Lexa's condition was growing worse. The had progressed from light shivers to occasional violent shaking. Vin had to put a washcloth in between her teeth to prevent her from biting her tongue. He gathered her in his arms. Her shaking eased slightly. 

"I think I know what the problem is." Paige said triumphantly. Then her smile faded. 

"What's wrong? That's good right?" Vin asked confused. 

"Just because I think I know what's wrong doesn't mean that I can fix the problem." 

"What the hell does that mean?" Vin demanded. His voice deepened startling Paige. 

"Okay, the way I understand it is they were giving the mothers hormones in pills and shakes right?" Vin nodded. "Well, at first I figured they were trying to use them to make the babies more compliant, but now I think they were trying to substitute them for the father's hormones. They must have had an adverse effect on Lexa." 

"Why would a pregnant woman need male hormones? Doesn't she produce everything the baby and she would need?" His eyebrows drew together. 

"Well, a NORMAL woman would. But we aren't talking about a normal woman Vin. You see when they messed with all of your body chemistry with those experiments they made you dependent on each other. When they first started and you were in pain didn't you find that when you guys touched it lessened?" 

Vin nodded. "But that doesn't explain it. I mean, we were away from Alec for seven years. Wouldn't this have happened by now?" 

"She wasn't pregnant before now. Plus the longer you guys are together the more hormones you guys share. Your body becomes dependent on them. Add in the fact you two were together so you were getting them anyways. Alec had other transgenics around and they stopped those type of experiments on him when you left. They ended up having to separate all of the teams still at Manticore. They found they were becoming unruly. When they would try to punish one of them the others would jump to their rescue." 

She paused and looked at him. "They only allow them together on mission now." She quietly added. "There were many who couldn't handle it and they killed themselves. Psychologically, it was too much to be alone after being so close to the rest of their team." 

Vin stared at the floor for a moment. He couldn't imagine trying to live without Lexa. Through the years she had become a part of him. His best friend, his sister. His fist clenched in the bedspread. This would not happen. He was her big brother and he would save her. 

"Okay so we need to get Alec here, that's what you're saying?" 

She nodded. "Yeah, and as soon as possible. You see how she calms a bit when you are near, when you touch her? I guess that even though you aren't the baby's father, evidently her body recognizes your hormones." 

She put the file aside. "Every time you touch, your body leaves a scent. There are thousands of pores in your body for your hormones to transfer." 

"So that's how the pain would ease, it's like we were sharing?" 

"You could say that." 

"Okay, I have to go call Logan and tell him the change of plans. Are you going to be okay here? You need anything?" 

"I could use some food." 

"At" he glanced at the clock on the wall. "Three Am.? I'll see what I can manage." 

"Thanks. Be careful." 

"Really? I thought I would tattoo "Hey! I'm a revved up killing machine that just escaped from my institution, wanna take me back?" Across my forehead. Not a good plan?" He said shaking his head. 

Paige rolled her eyes and went into the bathroom to get another wet washcloth. She followed Vin to the door and locked it behind him. 

!@!@!@ 

The wind blew sand into his eyes as he walked to the gas station to call Logan. He wiped the top of his head in agitation. He could feel the stubble growing back. They had allowed him to shave his head at Manticore which had surprised him. He briefly contemplated letting his hair grow back. 

He reached the phone and pulled the change from his pocket silently chuckling at the way he had got it. He went back to the office to find the door closed again and the sounds of passion louder. Poor Elden had nearly cried when Vin had asked for change. 

He deposited the fifteen dollars required for the ten minute call and dialed Logan's number once again. It rang three times before the older man answered. 

"Hello?" Came Logan's weary voice over the line. 

"It's Vin. We have a problem." 

***To Be Continued... 

Next chapter we find out what Alec and Max are up to... 


	7. Touching Base

Chapter 7: Touching Base 

Author's note: The more you review (like you have been) inspires me to great things. Thank you 

Short Recap: Paige has just discovered that Alec's hormones are needed to stabilize Lexa's condition. 

~!~!~! 

"Is something wrong?" Logan's voice was alert now. 

"Yeah, Lexa's really sick. She needs Alec." 

"I just got your papers so you guys can be here by the end of the week." 

"Not gonna do. Part of what's wrong with her is that she needs Alec's hormones to stay stable." 

"Alec's hormones? What are you talking about?" Logan asked. 

"It's a long story. I don't have time to explain. We need to get Alec here if she is going to be okay. It's not looking good right now." 

"Okay, we'll I haven't got through to Alec yet but I will try harder. Are you still in Buckeye?" 

"Just outside of it. A little motel called Luck's Lady." 

"Okay. I'll see what I can do. Call again later unless you have a number for me to call you at?" 

Vin rattled the number off and was about to ask Logan to have Alec call when the operator came over the line asking for more change. He hung up the phone and headed back to the motel. 

On the way back he spotted a small gas station and remembered his promise to Paige that he would bring back something to eat. He walked in, a small bell ringing with the opening of the door. He walked through the aisles picking up a few things and decided to get a case of soda. The small bell rang again grating on Vin's already fragile nerves. 

"Put your hands in the air now!" Came a gritty voice. Vin turned to look and saw the thin man holding a revolver focused at the girl behind the register. 

"You've got to be kidding me." Vin said under his breath. He put the food on the counter containing children's candy and crept up behind the would be robber. By this time the robber had the poor girl crying and emptying the register into a paper bag. 

The man was twitching, obviously in need of a fix. His total concentration was on the girl and he was not observing his surroundings. 

As Vin crept closer the girl noticed him and stared. The man turned to see what she was looking at and jumped when he saw Vin so close. His hand jerked firing the gun. 

Vin's world exploded in pain as a bullet tore into his arm. His breath caught and anger raged in him. His good fist slammed into the man's face repeatedly until the man's hand went slack and the gun fell to the floor. When Vin came back to his senses them man was laying limply on the floor unconscious. 

Vin's eyes went wide as he took in the sight before him. He hadn't meant to lose control. The girl behind the counter stared at him. He went back to the counter and grabbed his food. Stumbling out into the night he started for the motel. 

~!~!~ 

Paige heard heard a thump against the door and jumped. Her wary eyes fixed on the door. She took a deep breath and listened carefully. She could hear ragged breathing. Surely the Sphynx soldiers she had imagined coming for her wouldn't be breathing that heavy right? She rose from the bed carefully arranging the baby and went to the door, peering through the peep hole. She could see the top of a freshly shaven head. Sighing in relief she opened the door to find Vin leaning against the wall struggling to get the key into the lock. 

He his head jerked up at her and he lost his balance falling onto her. Paige staggered under his weight. She brought her hands up to his shoulders to steady him and felt something warm and wet. A sinking feeling filled her stomach. She backed him up against the wall and looked at her hand. Blood. Her eyes crept to him and widened when she saw blood soaking his right side from shoulder to waist. 

"What happened? Did a TAC team catch you?" Paige questioned frantically as she tried to lead him to the bathroom. 

"No.. Damn junkie." Vin ground out painfully. 

"A junkie?" 

"Convenience store about twelve miles from here. A junkie tried to hold it up. I stopped him but when I scared him he shot me." Vin grunted as Paige pulled what was left of his jacket off. 

"Where exactly did he get you?" Paige asked turning from him to grab the remaining towels off the rack. She filled the sink with water and dipped in a wash rag. 

"Shoulder." Vin's head felt light. He swayed on the toilet he was sitting on. "Damn." 

Paige had caught the motion out of the corner of her eye. "Give yourself a break. You had just got over a major surgery, haven't slept for hours and have probably had an endless adrenaline rush since we escaped. Your body has to crash sometime." She   
leaned around him to peer at his back. "I can't tell if it went through or not until I get some of this blood cleaned up. Do you think you can take off your shirt?" 

Vin nodded. Paige helped him peel it off, having to admire his muscles. She quickly went to work on washing away the blood. 

"Well, good news it went through." She tore the towel into strips and folded two into pads to absorb the blood and tied it into place. 

"That's the best I can do until morning. Are you okay?" Vin nodded. "Good, now where's my food?" 

~!~! 

Max wiped her forearm with the sleeve of her shirt and took a deep breath. She looked at Alec who was as grimy as she was and nodded. Together they lifted the third large hot water heater they had salvage from the other side of TC and slowly carried it upstairs. 

"Max!" Bolt came running into the building yelling for her. 

Max and Alec set the heater down alert. "What's wrong?" 

"Logan called over at HQ for you. He told Dix that he had been trying to page you since last night. Dix said you would want the message right away." His long brown bangs fell into his eyes and he blew them out of the way in excitement. 

"What did he say?" She asked frowning and looked down at her pager. The batteries had died again. 

"He said to tell you that someone named Vin called and for you two to come see him right away." Bolt's chest puffed up with pride at being able to deliver a message to his leader. 

"Vin?" Max whispered. She looked at Alec. His face held a hopeful expression. Then, in an instant, he turned from the water heater and ran. Max gave chase. They didn't look back or slow down until they reached the perimeter fence of Terminal City. 

Max grabbed his arm as he launched himself into the air hauling him to the ground. Landing on one foot and one knee he looked at her with impatience and anger clear in his eyes. 

"What?" he demanded. 

"In case you didn't notice there are at any given time dozens of ordinaries looking lynch us, Sector cops wanting to shoot us, and politicians just wringing their hands in anticipation for a reason to bomb us. If they see jump this fence and get through all of those people you are going to give them all reasons to go through with it." She told him just as impatient. Her face softened. "You aren't the only one that wants to get there, come on." She told him and headed for the sewer entrance.   
  
  
Alec suppressed his anger and jogged to keep up with her. 

~!~!@~! 

Twenty minutes later... 

Max and Alec pounded through Logan's door without knocking. They were in such a rush that Max knocked Asha, who had been walking by, over. Alec distractedly helped her to her feet and followed Max into Logan's study. 

Logan was sitting in front of his computer rubbing his eyes, his glasses in his right hand. Sighing he put them back on and gestured for his visitors to sit down. They did. 

"So tell us already." Alec growled. 

"Okay early this morning Vin called me collect from Arizona. Apparently he, and Lexa escaped bringing another X5 and her daughter with them. I was getting ready to call him and find out their names. I am trying to get passes and papers for them and for you Alec." 

Alec looked at him confused. "Me?" 

"Yes." Logan paused. "Vin said you are needed right away. Something to do with your hormones and Lexa not doing to well. I've been trying to find out what he meant but so far I haven't found anything, I'm sorry." 

Alec paled. Something was wrong with Lexa? He realized now that he had known. The nights he had woken up feeling off. Headaches and pains shooting briefly through his arms and legs, the aching in his chest and stomach. He had dismissed them as adjusting to TC and recovering from the beating he had got from Thula. 

"Is she okay?" He asked quietly. Max looked at him and put her arm around his shoulders for support. 

"I'm sure that Vin is taking care of her the best he can." She whispered as Logan turned on the speakerphone and dialed the number Vin had given him. Max and Alec held their breath, bodies tense. 

"Hello?" an unsure female voice came over the phone. 

"Uh, can I speak to Vin?" Logan asked. 

"Who is this?" The voice demanded. 

Alec spoke up. "We're friends of Vin. I'm Alec." He said. 

"Just a second." The could hear the phone being put down. A second later Vin picked up. 

"Alec?" Pain suffused the man's deep voice. 

"Yeah man." Alec smiled and sighed deeply. He looked at Max who had tears trailing down her smiling face also. 

"Damn, it's good to hear your voice, is Max okay? Heard there was a fight? I tried to call your phone but it was disconnected." 

A dark look clouded Logan's face as he noticed Vin asked about Max first. Alec and Max were too preoccupied to notice. 

"I'm fine." Max said. "Are you okay." There was silence on the other end for a moment. 

"Lexa's not doing so well. She's been declining since we got caught but Paige thinks she's figured out what's wrong. Alec, remember all of those tests they did on us when we were young?" 

"Yeah, how could I forget?" He said wryly. 

"Well, she thinks they made us dependent on each other. We touched and the pain went away, well, it was actually our hormones that were transferring around if I understand her right. When we left she and I had each other and Paige thinks they gave you some shots that substituted. Our records were at our apartment you may want to check up on that." 

"Okay. But that doesn't explain what's wrong with Lexa. You're there." 

"Here's where it gets tricky. When we found each other again we started getting closer, became a team again." 

"Her knowing.." Alec said quietly 

"Exactly. So now that she's pregnant your hormones are needed more than ever. Touching and stuff from what Paige says. So you need to get here soon." 

"Can I talk to her?" Alec asked. Once again silence. 

"Vin?" 

"Alec, she can't talk right now."  
  
  
"Why?" Alec demanded angry. 

"She's gone inside herself. It's been almost a month since she has said anything. And it's getting worse." 

Alec sat back dazed. Max's arm dropped from his shoulder to take his hand and squeeze it reassuringly. "Are you okay?" She asked Vin. 

"I'm fine." He said unconvincingly "Hey!" He yelped as Paige smacked his bad arm. 

"Okay so maybe I got a little shot." He admitted. 

"A little shot?" Logan asked dryly. Did he sound a bit smug to Vin's ears? 

"No big deal, a junkie with a gun." He said defensively. Changing the subject he said. "Hey could you bring some stuff with you Alec?" 

"Yeah, anything you need buddy." 

"Well, I need some clothes and so do the girls. Lexa needs big ones, you know the kind pregnant ladies wear." Max rolled her eyes and mouthed to Alec she would take care of it. 

"What size does Paige wear?" Max asked. 

"I don't know. Original Cindy's size maybe." 

"Are you sure?" Max asked doubtfully. 

"No." He admitted. "Oh, we need baby stuff also. And don't forget our records so Paige can take a look at them." He added. 

"Okay, we'll take care of it." Max said loudly. 

"Hold on" Vin said and there was murmuring in the background. Then he was back. "Alec, Paige wants you to talk to Lexa. She thinks that maybe your voice will get a reaction out of her." 

Alec raised his eyebrows and said "Alright." He gestured to Logan to give him the handset then when Vin told him to he spoke. 

"Hey baby. It's Alec. I'm coming to get you guys. Hang on okay?" Vin's voice was back. 

"Anything?" Alec asked. 

"She blinked." 

Alec sighed. "Okay man, we are going to get everything together and call you before we leave okay? Say bye to Max." He handed Max the phone and got off the couch heading to the kitchen. 

~!~! 

He was pouring himself a drink when Max came in behind him. He felt her hand on his shoulder. 

"Are you okay?" 

"Always alright Max." He said without turning. He lifted the glass to his mouth and drank deeply.   
"It'll work out Alec." She said then took the glass from him and took a drink herself. She replaced it on the counter and gave him a brief hug. "C'mon let's go get their stuff together." 

They left and once again Max ignored Asha as they walked out. 

*** 

To Be Continued...   
  
I know it seems it's moving slow but hang with me and the next chapter will be better.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



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